Eye of the Gorgon
by luckychaos
Summary: A man is dropped into a stormy sea, and nearly dies from exhaustion and thirst. A goddess pulls him back from the brink, but in doing so permanently changes him on a fundamental level. This act of mercy has wide-spanning ramifications, not only for the man and the goddess, but also for the greatest Holy Grail War to ever occur.
1. Adrift

I opened my eyes and mouth at the same time, and was met by two incredibly painful sensations at once.

The first was the harsh, blinding light of the sun.

The second was swallowing a mouthful of saltwater.

I would've cursed and shouted in pain, but I was too busy choking. My ears were filled with the shrill cries of gulls, an uproarious splashing all around me, and my own pathetic attempts at not drowning right then and there.

Slowly, tentatively, I opened my eyes again, still gasping for air. I quickly wished I hadn't.

Adrift. In the middle of the ocean. An endless blue, with no land in sight. I was treading water, utterly alone, my glasses were missing, _in the middle of the ocean_.

My blood ran cold, terror crawling its way up my spine. I opened my mouth to scream, but a small wave chose that exact time to splash against my face. I sputtered and coughed, hacking up the disgusting saltwater. Struggling to regain my ability to breath was only a momentary distraction, however, as the primal fear made its way back to being foremost in my mind.

My feet, dangling in the emptiness below like bait. Hungry things that swam through the darkness, full of teeth and _smelling fresh prey-_

I viciously shook my head. Couldn't afford to think too hard now of all times. There were a million- No, that was wrong, there was only one question I had, but it wouldn't be answered by treading water and pissing myself out of fear until I sank.

Well… I was pretty sure I'd already done the pissing part. Did that attract sharks?

I forced the thought down, doing my best to ignore the sheer panic, that almost made me freeze up once more. Instead, I made a long, deep inhale, recalling an old, simple lesson from my instructor.

Breathe. Then act.

Fear could be strength in its own right.

I exhaled, then started to swim. I had no clue where I was going, or if I was further damning myself by getting further from land. But if there were gulls nearby… there was a higher chance that land was nearby as well. All I did know was that I would rather die of exhaustion then wait to be ripped apart by sharks.

* * *

I had no idea how long I swam. It could've been minutes, or hours. The sun constantly beat down on me, baking my exposed skin. My whole body ached, crying out in pain as I forced myself harder and harder to keep moving and afloat. I was a good swimmer, but endurance had never been my strong suit. Especially with no food or drinkable water.

I wished I could say it was courage or hope that kept me going for so long. Something noble, an inner strength that had been ushered forth by the dire circumstances. But that would be a lie. I knew damn well what kept me going.

Utter terror. Fear of sharks, fear of drowning, fear of dying, pick one or all three, didn't matter.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep-

Something brushed against my hand.

I _definitely_ pissed myself right then and there.

Screaming and flailing, I desperately tried to swim away, up until I actually saw what had touched me. Something long and thin and… pink? Light purple? The tentacles of some kind of jellyfish?

The stuff clung to my hand, minute strands of purple wrapped around my fingers. No, it wasn't a jellyfish… it felt more like hair. It trailed through the water, leading to something that was most definitely _not_ a jellyfish, but far stranger.

A girl, clinging to a piece of driftwood. She wore a long, frilly white dress, dirtied by the water and lord knew what else. Silver jewelry glinted in the sunlight, finely-made and delicate chains that looped through her hands and legs. The purple hair framed an absurdly youthful and beautiful face, stretching on past her ankles and to me.

Putting aside the fact that the girl looked vaguely familiar, I frantically swam to her. In a mad scramble I latched onto the driftwood, barely large enough for the two of us. As my fingers dug into the soaked wood, I sagged in relief and rested my cheek against its dank surface.

I stayed like that for a while, simply breathing and appreciating that I didn't have to keep kicking just to not drown. It was when I heard something sliding beside me that I finally looked up.

The girl was unconscious, which explained why she hadn't said anything this entire time. And her grip was slipping, her petite body slowly sinking into the ocean.

 _No! Don't leave me alone!_

My hand shot out, despite my arm screaming in protest, and roughly grabbed her by the collar before yanking her back up. The fact that she was so damn light was probably the only reason I had the strength to accomplish that much.

The girl let out a raspy groan, but otherwise did little to acknowledge anything had happened.

I let out a ragged breath before looking back down at her. Her face looked pained, and now that we were so close I could see she was shaking. I imagined I looked pretty similar, both of us being up shit creek without a paddle.

But the more I looked at her, the more she looked familiar. I recognized her, I was pretty sure, but if she was who I really thought she was… Well, I was even more fucked than I originally thought.

A seagull's cry pierced through the fog in my mind, and I shook my head. Priorities. I had a raft, such as it was, but I couldn't afford to waste time pondering how I got here. All that mattered for now was getting out.

"C'mon," I rasped, pushing the girl further onto the driftwood and starting to kick my feet.

The girl murmured something under her breath, still seemingly lost to the world.

"As...terios…" she weakly whispered.

I kept swimming. One thing at a time.

* * *

My feet touched something. Something solid. I stopped kicked and started walking. Wading through water.

Couldn't see straight. Vision was just smears of blue and white and green. Shouldn't be that bad. Not that blind without glasses. Something was wrong.

My lungs were on fire. Every motion was like a molten dagger in my muscles. Every feeble gasp of breath brought little relief and more pain. I tasted salt and sand. The heat was stifling, roasting. An oven.

My legs shook violently as they took their first tentative steps on solid ground. I wrapped the girl's arm around my shoulders. So light. Couldn't leave her in that heat.

Slowly, painfully, I walked toward a dark spot in my vision. Shade. Had to be shade, had to be.

The instant I entered the shadow and felt cool air on my battered skin, I collapsed.

Faded in and out. Breathing and thinking were labors. I felt myself trickle away. Laid out on my back, sand pressed against my burnt skin.

There was a voice. A girl's.

My eyelids fluttered open. There she was. Luxurious pink hair fell like a waterfall around her face, tickling my nose. The girl was looking down at me with… with…

Golden eyes. Square irises.

They were haunting, otherworldly. Beautiful.

She was saying something. The words were foreign, muffled, and rolled right off me. Such a melodious voice.

My eyelids lost their strength, closing shut. Maybe for the last time.

Something warm on my lips. A liquid that slid down my throat, tasting of iron and tang. It filled me, coursing through my veins. It was like an electric shock, pure energy growing and growing and growing growing growing _growing-!_

The electricity lanced upward through my face, to my right eye.

 _ **BOILING.**_

I had no idea how long I'd screamed until I blacked out.

* * *

A gentle, soothing tune hummed over the ebb and flow of waves.

It sounded lonely.

With a groan, I clutched my head and and slowly sat upright. My body ached and creaked, dozens of tiny, dull points of pain littered across my skin. My right eye felt sore and bruised, so I kept it shut while opening my left to finally see just where I was.

Cerulean waves gently lapped against a shore of white sand, leading to a calm sea of the purest blue. A cloudless sky stretched on beyond the horizon, inhabited only by the distant arrowhead shapes of seagulls. A verdant emerald paradise was at my back, filled with chirping birds, chittering insects, and who knew what other vibrant creatures that lived beneath the trees.

A tropical paradise. It brought back memories of Ko Samet.

The humming stopped at my side. "So, you're finally awake," the girl's voice noted.

I turned, and there she was. Without a doubt, she was someone I could never have actually met, nor, frankly, someone I wanted to meet.

She looked up at me from where she sat. Golden eyes blinked, then narrowed. "Do you know who I am?" she asked.

There were only two people she could have been, but the name she'd murmured back then narrowed it down pretty easily.

"Euryale," I croaked, finding my throat dry.

The goddess blanched, delicate eyebrows furrowing as she shook her head.

"You _mangled_ my name," she pointed out in a huff, folding her arms over her chest. "That's rather rude, considering I saved your life!"

I frowned. "... Uh, I did? You did?"

" _Obviously_ ," Euryale groaned. "You pronounced it 'Yuri-ale', which is just so, so… _crass_!"

Stiffly, I raised a hand to pinch the bridge of my nose, silently wondering at just how surreal this whole experience was. It had to be a dream, right? Even if everything felt far, far too real…

Like the dull throbbing in my right eye.

"Then how are you supposed to pronounce it?" I asked. Not exactly the most pressing question in my mind, but I had no idea where to even _start_.

"Your-eye-a-lee," she spelled out slowly, regarding me as one typically would a simpleton… before a smirk appeared on her face. "Though I'll excuse you this one time, since you _did_ help me out earlier and it'd be a shame if I had to discard a new toy~"

I blinked down at the girl, staring dumbly. "...Okay, uh, hold on," I grumbled, shaking my head. "Did you just call me a _toy_?"

"Well, you _are_ a man, aren't you?" Euryale retorted obviously, looking me over. "It's the fate of all men to dance to our tune, after all. The less you resist that eventuality, the easier this whole arrangement will be."

"Arrangement?" I echoed, bushy brows raised. "And what's that supposed to be?"

Euryale's smirk became a beaming smile. "Why, for you to be my bodyguard, of course!" she replied, leaning forward. "You already proved that you were willing to die for me, since you were sweet enough to not push me off our little raft and bring us all the way to shore, so it only makes sense that you keep protecting me until we find Chaldea and Captain Drake!"

"... But _you're_ the Servant here," I pointed out. If she found it interesting that I knew of the term, it didn't show. "You're supposed to be _leagues_ beyond anything I can accomplish, so why do you need me to protect you?"

"Well, I say 'protect', but I really mean 'distract'," Euryale admitted. "I was summoned in the Archer class, and I was never much good in close quarters to begin with. But if something attacks, you'll be in front so they'll go for you first while I shoot them. You should be excited to play the role of the brave hero!"

There was _so_ much wrong with that statement that I outright flinched. I had to force down my first impulse to say "Hell no!", if only because she'd dropped the names of certain people that were my best bet of getting out of this… whatever it was, alive.

Euryale. Chaldea. Drake. All painted a glaringly obvious picture of just where the hell I was.

Lord, I hoped that this was just a really, _really_ intense trip. Randy had mentioned getting shrooms for us at one point…

"Uh, hello?" Euryale spoke up when I didn't immediately respond, frowning at me. The childlike face seemed confused… and surprised. "Wait, why aren't you being affected by it?"

I gave her a baffled look.

"My _voice_!" she elaborated with a pout. "You're not supposed to be able to resist my voice, much less being so close to me for so long! Unless-" Her jaw snapped shut and her eyes widened. "Oh," she breathed. " _Oh_. Right."

"Your pitch wasn't exactly the best, so yeah," I groused.

"It shouldn't have mattered how I phrased it, you were supposed to leap at my words," Euryale said, resting her chin on a silver-decorated, dainty hand. "No mortal man should be able to… But now I see. This is because I saved you."

I fidgeted uncomfortably where I sat. Despite what she said, _how_ she said made it feel a great deal more ominous than it should've been.

"... While I'm glad you saved me," I started slowly. "As well as for the fact that your hypnosis didn't work on me… how, exactly, did you save me?"

Euryale turned to fully face me. She was indeed a beautiful girl, but the downright mesmerizing effect she had when I first saw her was no longer present. She was still very much otherworldly, the eyes and hair were more than enough to make that clear. It just wasn't… overpowering, anymore.

"You were minutes away from dying when I woke up," she told me. The teasing tone was gone. "I… Well, I didn't want to lose a potential bodyguard, and…" Oddly enough, she seemed like she was pouting, eyes glancing to the side. "So, I… did the first thing that came to mind. I fed you some of my essence to speed your healing."

It took a few moments for the words to register.

"You… what?" I asked dumbly.

"I fed you my ichor," Euryale hastily replied. "But I didn't think it would…" She trailed off, giving me an odd look. "... Open your right eye."

Oh no.

I complied, and my vision briefly flashed. Then it focused, and all of the little details of the world felt clearer. Each individual strand of Euryale's hair, the rays of sunlight peeking from above the shade of the palm tree, the barest wisps of cloud high in the sky…

A seagull's harsh cry rang out, jolting me. Automatically, I looked to the source of the sound, spotting the bird off in the distance over the ocean. I could count every white feather, spot the tiny scars on its webbed feet, every minute discoloration on its orange beak, its black eyes staring back-

The bird seized up, wings going rigid… then it fell. And fell. Until it crashed into the waves with an undignified splash.

Realization dawned on me.

"The air is strange here," Euryale murmured, staring at me. "And considering the nature of this singularity… I _might_ have misjudged the consequences of my actions," she admitted.

I raised a shaky hand to my right eye, covering the thing up.

There really wasn't much else to say in response to her statement, except…

"No shit, Euryale."


	2. First Impressions

While Euryale loudly took issue with my tone and choice of words, I let out a _long_ , deep breath and rubbed my face.

Madness. Utter madness was what was going on right now. I didn't even know where to _begin_ to think about my situation. Frustratingly enough, I couldn't remember where I'd been or what I'd been doing before I was dropped in the middle of the ocean. Or rather, in the middle of the singularity.

Euryale, goddess of Ancient Greece, Archer-class Servant…

"... Why are you giving me a weird look?"

She mentioned Chaldea, and Captain Drake… the protagonists and ally respectively of Fate/Grand Order.

If that was all true, I _somehow_ got dropped in Okeanos, the third singularity. Late 1500s, or something like that. Either way… if I'm remembering correctly, if you weren't a Servant or a Master, this was a world that was _not kind_ to you. But even then...

"Hey, are you even listening to me?"

I took a shaky breath and tried to force my tensed shoulders down. Keep calm. I had to keep calm. If Chaldea was here, I'd have a chance of finding out what the hell had happened to me. What _was_ happening to me. My best chance was to somehow hitch a ride with them, by some miracle rayshift or leyshift or whatever the hell you called it and have Da Vinci or some other Caster explain shit to me.

"Hey, quit _ignoring me!_ "

I needed to-GAH!

 _Sand in my eyes!_

"Gah, fuck!" I cursed, rubbing my watering eyes and spitting out sand that'd just gotten kicked in my face. "The hell?!"

"You were ignoring me!" Euryale huffed, setting her hands on her hips and glaring down at me. "Shouldn't _I_ be your focus right now?"

"You didn't have to kick _sand_ in my face!" I snapped, wiping away what grains I could from my eyes and glaring at her. God damn it, I could feel it in my beard; that'll take _ages_ to get out. "Couldn't you have just shaken me or something?"

"I would only give you the privilege of touching me as a reward for good behavior," Euryale declared. "Which you've been sorely lacking in."

"Yeah, well, kinda have a lot to soak in right now," I groused. "Not everyday you wake up in the middle of a singularity, meet a goddess, drink her blood, and then get a Mystic Eye."

"Hmph. You say that, but you're pretty knowledgeable," she pointed out, giving me a once-over. "You're not dressed at all like a pirate, so you can't be one of Captain Drake's crew. In fact, you don't look like you're from this time period at all. Are you a magus from the same era as Chaldea?"

I scratched some sand out of my beard, taking the time to force myself to calm down. Needed to smart about this… But I wasn't sure if gods had some sort of natural lie-detecting ability in this world. Euryale was annoying, but hardly stupid; she was right to focus on my blue button-up and khaki shorts to try and figure out where I was from.

Just gotta think this through. One thing at a time.

"If Chaldea is from the late 2010s, then yes, I'm from their era," I replied slowly. Euryale said and did nothing, probably an indication to keep going. "And I'm not a magus, just informed." I frowned, reaching a hand to my changed eye. "But now... I honestly don't know _what_ I am anymore."

The goddess regarded me with lidded eyes, probably trying to ascertain the truth of my words. She leaned forward, bending over to look at me straight on. Our stares met for an uncomfortably long amount of time before she finally spoke.

"I don't like that you're immune to my skills," Euryale stated with a frown, not once moving away. "But it doesn't look like I'm affected by your Mystic Eye either. Whatever happened to you, it must've negated our abilities on each other. I _guess_ that makes sense."

"Which I'm _quite_ thankful for," I said, scooching a little further back.

Evidently that was a bad decision, because Euryale put on a coy smirk and gave me a sultry look. "Oh? Perhaps I have some effect on you after all?" she teased, moving forward.

"Only because you're getting too much in my personal space," I retorted. "You're not really my type."

"What, _me_ , not your type?" Euryale asked, bewildered. "I'm an idol of purity and chastity! What man wouldn't grovel just for the chance to be in my presence?"

"This man right here," I replied, pushing myself off the ground and wiping sand off my shorts. My bare feet dug into the beach; of course I'd been deprived of my shoes when I came here. "Look, that's hardly the most pressing issue right now. Can we focus on surviving first?"

"Hmph, you're right," Euryale allowed, leaning back and folding her arms. "First things first: what's your name?"

"Galloway," I answered.

"That's a weird name."

"Yeah, well, so is 'Euryale' where I come from," I pointed out defensively.

"I don't care what you think is weird," Euryale dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Anyway. You already seem to know what Servants and singularities are, so I'm not going to bother explaining them to you. All you really need to know is that we were fighting the people trying to destroy history when I was separated from my allies."

Her delicate, haughty features softened for but a moment, eyes lowering at some unpleasant memory. With what I knew of how this singularity played out, it wasn't hard to piece together who had fallen in the battle.

"We can't have drifted too far from them," Euryale continued, her expression growing more serious. "The Golden Hind will be searching for us… but so will the Argo. We need to move to somewhere with a better vantage point so we can see anyone before they see us."

She pointed down the beach, and in the distance I saw a great cliff rising above the sea.

"We're going there," she stated. "And stick close to shore. If this island is like the others, there'll be all sorts of monsters lurking in the jungle. If we run into a chimera, I doubt you'd last long enough for me to get even a single shot in."

On that incredibly sobering note, Euryale began strutting down the beach. "Well, come on!" she called back to me.

My hands balled into fists and I forced myself to take yet another deep breath. Calm down. She was likely joking about chimeras. At most, there'd be a werewolf, which I could totally petrify with my nifty new Mystic Eye which totally wasn't a sign that my body was changing into something not-quite human.

I just had to get to Chaldea.

* * *

So I didn't let slip that I knew more things I shouldn't have, I made sure to ask Euryale for a rundown of what exactly had been going on in the singularity. For the most part, things had gone how they were supposed: Drake already having a Grail, Blackbeard being… Blackbeard, etcetera, etcetera. She hadn't said much about Chaldea or their Servants, other than that they were helpful and kind to her.

It was when the Argo had shown up that things took a turn for the worse.

Euryale claimed she wasn't sure what exactly had happened, and got noticeably moodier when I pressed for details.

"That idiot sacrificed himself for nothing!" Euryale snapped heatedly. "There was a big explosion and he pushed me away with that stupid grin on his face and I don't remember anything after that! There, happy?"

I'd only asked for elaboration once, but that seemed to be enough to get her pissed off. Caught off-guard, I backed away a little and put up my hands in a placating gesture.

"I'm sorry," I told her. There was a time and a place to be combative. Come to think of it, her attitude with me might've been because she was still dealing with what had happened. "I won't pry anymore."

Euryale kept her gaze fixed on the ocean to our right, her back to me and arms wrapped tightly around her chest. When it became apparent she didn't want to talk anymore, I looked to the jungle on our left. The harsh squawks of colorful birds echoed from within, probably covering the approach of whatever beasts were tracking us, hiding in the shadows…

"You're terrible at hiding your fear," the goddess spoke up, making me flinch at the sudden sound of her voice. "I'll sense them before they get too close, so stop padding around like a scared kitten. It's not very manly."

"I thought I made it clear I'm a stranger to these kinds of things," I retorted, picking up my pace to catch up with her.

"And yet you barely had much of reaction when you heard the likes of Jason and Heracles are chasing after us," Euryale said, giving me a pointed look. "A Heracles who has _God Hand_ , or were your ears still stuffed with sand when I mentioned that?"

"I heard," I grumbled, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Chalk it up to shock. I'm sure I'll piss myself out of sheer terror when I finally lay eyes on him."

My tone might have been dry when I said it, but I honestly believed that could actually happen. The sight of a roaring Heracles charging you wasn't exactly the best for one's bladder, I assumed.

"Hm." Euryale continued to stare, tilting her head to the side. Her luxurious purple locks shifted at the gesture. "You're barely keeping it together as is." That damnable smirk appeared on her face again. "It must be the love for me that you so stubbornly deny that's keeping you going."

"Swing and a miss," I drawled. "The pleasure of your company is an acquired taste, one I seem to lack."

"You'd be singing a different tune if my ichor wasn't flowing through your veins," Euryale retorted, turning to walk backwards while she folded her hands behind her back. Her every motion danced along the fine line of being a true tease, capturing the sweet spot between cute and coy.

My eyes, damn them, lingered, but only for a moment. She was _almost_ hypnotic, but something kept me from giving in completely.

"Speaking of tunes," I hastily said. "What was that song you were humming when I woke up?"

"E-Eh?"

She almost tripped on herself at the unexpected question, face going red from embarrassment as she hurriedly straightened up. _Point, me._

"You-" Euryale cut herself off, freezing where she stood. "Incoming!" she shouted, arms shooting up. Something was materializing in her hands when I spun to face the jungle, eyes wide with panic.

"Shit, shit, shit," I rambled, frantically trying to look through the shadows. "Where?!"

 _Thwip-thwip!_

Pink bolts shot from behind me, disappearing into the darkness. There was a loud yelp of pain in the distance, like a dog that had just been struck. It was swiftly followed by a furious howl, accompanied by several more.

"Oh no," I breathed.

"Use that eye of yours while I kill them!" Euryale ordered, firing away. "It's just a single pack!"

Any reply I might have had was cut off by the snarling mass of fur that burst through the brush.

"Fuck!" I hollered, jumping backward even as the monster seized up once I laid eyes on it. The werewolf growled and glared at me with beady black eyes, its muscles straining against the effect of my Mystic Eye. Spittle fell from a fanged maw that twitched violently, ready to bite my neck-

I blinked, and three arrows struck its chest, neck, and skull. It crumbled to the ground in a limp heap.

"Get up!" Euryale shouted. "The rest are rushing us!"

No time to think. Get up. Petrify. Live.

Four werewolves charged out, howling and swinging clubs. The front two halted in their tracks, but the remaining two bounded to the side while Euryale filled their packmates with arrows.

Quick, turn-!

Something smashed into my side, and I saw stars. On the ground. Sun above. Everything hurt. Chest felt like it was on fire.

A meaty paw roughly grabbed my face and slammed it into the sand. I smelled something rotten, hot, heavy, wretched breath filling my nostrils. Reaching for my neck-

I saw red.

" _GET OFF!"_ I screamed at the top of my lungs. Something _pulsed_ along my arm as I blindly swung it up, striking fur and muscle and hearing a satisfying _crunch_.

The paw vanished, along with the overbearing stench. A yelp of pain further away, and then silence.

I continued to lay there on my back, breathing raggedly. _Fuck_ , did my chest hurt, like, like…

My shirt had been sliced, three diagonal cuts that had cleanly torn it apart. Beneath the tattered remains, I saw blood.

"Oh shit, shit, shit!" I cried.

"They're only shallow cuts, calm down." Euryale's face covered the sun, casting the world in shade. "Just don't move too much and you'll be fine."

I had no way to respond to that, so I didn't. Wincing, I slowly pushed myself up and cradled my side. The adrenaline was starting to ebb away, my entire body feeling like it was sagging away and deflating.

We were surrounded by the corpses of werewolves. Now that they weren't trying to kill me, I could see they were actually wearing clothes; rags for the most part, though one notably had an eyepatch. And was that a cutlass it was holding?

"You did adequate back there," Euryale stated, though I only paid her half a mind. "But you need to toughen up more if you're going to be my bodyguard."

"Kay," I said distantly.

"... That said, I didn't expect that punch of yours to actually hurt that werewolf," Euryale continued, her tone becoming curious. "You look so scrawny that I thought you'd fold like a leaf."

"Mm," I grunted, raising a hand to rub my face-

Wait a minute.

I narrowed my eyes at my left arm.

There weren't always scales there before, right?


	3. An Understanding

Monstrous Strength.

Pretty much what it said on the tin. A skill held by monsters or those with monstrous traits that allowed the user to receive a massive boost in attack power… naturally, coming at a price. You start to take on the appearance of whatever monster you're based on, and likely begin to mentally deteriorate until you might as well be a monster yourself.

Those cold facts, distant and clinical, repeated over and over in my head as I sat on the beach with my back to the jungle. The aches in my body slowly faded, as did the bleeding on my chest. Euryale had been right; the cuts had been shallow and it didn't take long for the blood to coagulate and solidify.

Unfortunately, it had done so in a pattern that looked far too much like scales for my liking.

"Here."

Euryale's voice shook me from my thoughts,and I looked to my left to see her there, offering me…

"... Why are you giving me a weird look?" Euryale asked lowly, eyes narrowing.

"I'm just wondering where you found bananas in the Mediterranean," I replied, raising a shaky arm to take the yellow fruit.

"And werewolves shouldn't be so prevalent in this century," she pointed out, setting a single hand on her hip. "It's a singularity. Weird things happen."

"... Point," I conceded as I began to peel the banana open. "And thank you."

"Hm, you should be grateful," Euryale stated, puffing her chest out. "This goddess took pity on your sad state and decided to correct it with a bounty offered by purity itself."

"Duly noted," I droned, taking a bite. "Mm. Though one has to wonder if 'purity itself' should actually brag about being such."

"Considering that you're just a simple, uncouth, and hairy man, I find your opinions on purity somewhat without merit," Euryale retorted, smirking down at me.

I had a witty reply, but something in her words gave me pause. Looking down at my left arm, I saw the seven vividly crimson scales that hadn't faded since the fight with the werewolves.

"Not so sure about the 'man' part anymore," I grumbled bitterly, taking another, more forceful bite of the banana.

Euryale went quiet at that, staring down at me with those unnerving golden eyes of hers. It took longer than I expected her to respond.

"Your Mystic Eye isn't like mine," she mused. "It's more like my oaf of a sister's petrification, but… weaker. Those werewolves didn't turn to stone when you looked at them; they just became paralyzed. And if this really is Monstrous Strength…" she trailed off.

"Then I'm becoming a gorgon," I stated numbly. Lord did those words feel odd coming out of my mouth. "Or, I dunno, a half-assed one."

"A _male_ gorgon," Euryale said, her features scrunched in thought. "But my oaf of a sister should be the only gorgon… because of her imperfect birth." Her words carried a tone of dawning realization. "A flawed existence, or one lacking Divinity, like yours, interacting with my ichor in a place where the rules of reality are in flux… that must've caused these changes in you."

I was silent for a few moments after that, choosing to finish off the banana while I thought over her words. Honestly, it sounded like the best explanation I'd get until I got to Chaldea and had Da Vinci spout some magibabble at else could I do, but try and find them as quickly as possible?

"Makes as much sense as it can, I guess," I sighed. "I mean, there's werewolves, goddesses, Argonauts, and pirates running around, so why not?"

Euryale let out a sigh. "Whatever's going on, we don't have the time to mull it over; the Argo could show up any minute. Get up, we need to get moving."

"No arguments there," I said, standing up and tossing the empty banana peel into the jungle. As the two of us started walking, I noticed she was holding onto a small object in her delicate hand. "... Uh, what's that you got there?"

"Oh, this?" Euryale raised what looked like a small, grey walnut to her face. "This was left behind after the werewolf corpses disappeared back there. Chaldea was collecting things like this from fallen enemies and sending them back to their base for research or something like that, so I thought I'd hold onto it for them."

I peered closer at the walnut, starting to recognize it. An item dropped by a werewolf… Yeah, that was definitely a yggdrasil seed. Interesting that something like that were actually occurring and not just part of a gameplay mechanic. Not much more than a curiosity for now, though. Especially considering…

"... I'm surprised you thought to do that for them," I said before I could think twice about it.

"Idols can be charitable when it suits them," Euryale pointed out with a huff, glaring at me. "Chaldea has been nothing but kind to me, so I shall return the favor by sharing my bounty with them." After a moment's hesitation, she tossed the seed my way. "But you're carrying it, obviously."

Not expecting the toss, I only barely caught the seed before it hit the ground. "And why am _I_ the pack mule here?" I demanded.

Euryale responded by grabbing her dress and barely lifting it an inch up. "Do you see any pockets or bags on me?" she asked in turn, as if I'd said something profoundly stupid. "Whereas I see no less than four pockets on you, two of which are on your rear for whatever reason. Unless you need to use more Monstrous Strength just to hold on to the little thing?"

I glowered at her, mostly because she had a point regarding the pockets. Conceding for now, I pocketed the seed while noting that it actually did have a bit more weight to it than appearances would make you believe.

"Whatever," I groused, forcing myself to keep more bitter words from leaking out. Making this experience more unpleasant with confrontation wasn't something I was keen on doing.

Euryale looked at me with what was either disapproval or disdain before shaking her head. "You get to do a favor for a beautiful goddess, and that's how you react?" Ah, that was disbelief.

"Didn't we already go over this?" If she really wanted to talk that badly, then whatever. It beat leaving me to my thoughts, I guessed. "You're not my type."

"But I'm supposed to be _every_ man's type!" she pouted, folding her arms. Something seemed to occur to her, since she smirked. "Unless it's not women you fancy…"

"No, I _definitely_ prefer women," I flatly told her. "Not into guys at all."

She must've sensed the truth in my words, since her features contorted with dismay. "Then I don't understand! What about me is it that keeps you from hanging on my every word?!"

"That sounds like a can of worms best left unopened."

Euryale glared at me. "I _insist_ , Galloway."

Hoo boy. I was keenly reminded of similar situations in the past, though none involved temperamental goddesses that accidentally turned me into a monster.

 _Ugh._ This wasn't going to be pretty.

"Not the biggest fan of the petite body, personally," I sighed. "I like more developed women, and taller, too."

"Wha… Why _taller_?" Euryale pressed, eyes narrowing. "You really want some giant of a woman for you to hang off of?"

"That's not what I said at all," I replied with a roll of my eyes. "I'd just rather not look like I was dating a child."

"A _child_?!"

Christ.

"You know, there was a reason I didn't want to have to explain myself," I pointed out. "I'm sure there are plenty of people that would find you attractive without your unsettling ability to mess with people's minds. But I don't."

"You… You…" Euryale fumed, hands balling into fists. What little facade of her idol demeanor remained was quickly crumbling apart, replaced by a girl who _really_ didn't like what she was hearing. "If Asterios was here, I'd, I'd-!"

She cut herself off, stopping in her tracks.

"Um…" Shit, I really should've held my tongue after all. "Euryale, I'm-"

"Shut up." Her cold words effectively silenced me. The goddess's gaze was distant as she stiffly began to walk again. "I don't care anymore."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and followed after her. Damn it, of _course_ she was still reeling from Asterios's sacrifice. I'd kind've dismissed that fact since the game itself didn't linger on it too heavily during the story, but things were somewhat different this time around. Euryale hadn't separated from Chaldea and Drake originally and had their support to help her deal with it.

This time around… all she had was me, a stranger who she chose to save for some reason and yet grated on her.

I could relate.

"I know what it's like," I started, unsure of why exactly I was speaking in the first place. Responsibility? Guilt? She'd been constantly rude to me, so why did I care? Yet, I kept talking. "To lose someone you care about."

Euryale didn't respond, her back to me.

"None of my friends and family came with me, so they were probably taken along with the Human Order," I continued, tonelessly. Simple facts. The reality of it. That's what I kept telling myself. "Everyone I ever cared about, gone with the rest. Leaving me alone."

A chord must have been struck, since Euryale gave me a sidelong glance with an unreadable expression.

"And now I'm just… adrift, in a different time period, surrounded by insanity, feeling my body change in a way that almost makes me miss puberty," I said. "What I'm trying to get at is that… I mean, I understand. Asterios must have been a great person, to make you miss him so much."

Running out of things to say, I shut up after that. We continued on in an uncomfortable silence, until Euryale finally spoke.

"It was all because I called him by his name," she said quietly, barely above a whisper. "'Asterios,' and not 'the Minotaur.' We kept each other company, on that island. He fought for me, and died for me, all because…" she trailed off. I couldn't see her face anymore.

I was at a loss for words, so I offered none. All I could think of was a silent acceptance.

For how aggravating she had been, the fact remained that Euryale had saved my life. Her reasoning of having a meatshield felt more like an excuse than anything else. I couldn't claim to fully know her thought process, but I did know that she hid a lot behind that mask she so often wore. I also knew she was hurting.

After all, gods were born of human wishes, weren't they? It only stood to reason that they'd inherit some of what made us human in the first place.

The sound of Euryale clearing her throat interrupted me from my thoughts.

"Well, the fact remains that I'm undoubtedly the height of femininity in all the world," Euryale stated haughtily, though with a little less bite than before. "Even with us negating each other, how is it even supposed to be possible that you're not attracted to me?"

The blatant non-sequitur caught me off-guard, and it took me a couple seconds to catch that she was forcefully changing the topic. Well, fine by me.

"Maybe it's just yet another example of weird singularity shit," I offered with a shrug. No use being all blunt and serious again, considering I didn't want a repeat of what'd just happened. "I mean, there's werewolves, Servants, goddesses, time travellers…"

"Pirates, multiple Holy Grails, half-gorgons…" Euryale listed off, nodding primly at each word.

"And on top of all that, bananas growing in the Mediterranean," I concluded solemnly.

"Indeed."

Euryale and I looked at each other, until the ludicrousness of what we just all said finally caught up with me. My lips quirked upward, and I started to let out a low chuckle. Amazingly, even Euryale placed a dainty hand over her lips and managed a small, dignified giggle.

Sometimes, all you could do was laugh at how insane the world was.

* * *

Finally, we reached our destination. The cliff rose high over the ocean waves that bashed against it. A flock of seagulls rested amidst the rocks and scattered foliage, harshly cawing at each other from nests of sticks and feathers. I only remembered to close my right eye after accidentally paralyzing a few right when we got to the cliff.

"This is… permissible," Euryale allowed, sidestepping one of the filthy rats with wings. "Not my first choice, but we have little choice."

"So long as we don't have to stay here long," I groused, raising my voice to be heard over the cacophony of hundreds of shrieking birds.

"We won't have to, with my eyes I'll be able see everything I need to from here," Euryale assured me proudly. She hopped up onto a boulder that rested near the highest point of the cliff and then leaned forward. "Now let's see…" she murmured as she began to scan the island.

Considering I didn't have the eyes of an Archer, I couldn't see shit, so I didn't bother. I kept myself preoccupied by trying not to get shit on by a passing seagull.

A couple minutes passed like that, up until Euryale let out a loud gasp.

"I see them!" she shouted excitedly, her features lighting up. "And, and… Oh no." The smile quickly fell.

"What?" I asked anxiously.

"The Golden Hind and the Argo are fighting!" Euryale hollered in a panic. "I don't see Heracles, or… or Artemis…" she trailed off, but then quickly shook her head to refocus. "We need to get there now!"

Ah, shit. "But how are we going to do that? I can't even see them, so they're probably really far away and I can't exactly run that fast for very long," I pointed out.

Euryale's brows knitted in thought. Whatever solution came to mind didn't seem to sit well with her, if her constipated expression was anything to go by. In a fluid motion, she jumped off the boulder and glared up at me.

" _Never tell anyone_ ," Euryale growled lowly at me through gritted teeth.

"Never tell anyone wh-OA THERE!"

Before I could even process what had happened, Euryale had swept me off my feet and taken me in a bridal carry.

" _Not a word,_ " she hissed, her breath hot on my ear.

"Y-Yeah, uh…" I rambled, reflexively reaching my arms around her neck to stabilize myself.

" _And no touching!_ "

"But then how am I gonnaAAHHHHH!"

The world became a blur of motion as two of us, one a temperamental childish goddess and the other a screaming schmuck, sped off to go help save the world.


	4. Riding the Storm

Eventually, I'd stopped screaming, but only because it felt like my throat was starting to tear apart. It was all I could do just to keep my eyes shut and listen to the howling wind as Euryale carried me closer and closer to our destination. The only way I knew we were actually getting closer was because the distant roar of explosions were steadily become less distant and more deafening.

"Almost there!" Euryale shouted. "I'm jumping!"

My stomach lurched as I felt an overbearing pressure push down on me. Something was trying to force its way out through my throat, and it took all of what little willpower remained in me to keep it down. Over the wind, gunfire crackled, along with the clashing of steel and roaring explosions.

We hit something, _hard_. I was unceremoniously dropped to the ground, back smacking against wood. As I spat out a curse, voices shouted over the chaotic din.

"She's back!"

"The goddess returns!"

"Took ya long enough! Told y'all she was fine!"

"Someone tell Fujimaru!"

Euryale was starting to say something, but far more important matters were quickly making themselves known. I opened my eyes and frantically spun my head around, ignoring the countless figures around us, looking for… there!

In a mad scramble, I launched myself to the edge of the Golden Hind and promptly puked my guts out into the sea.

With a wheezing rasp, I shakily wiped my beard as my chest heaved. My whole body was trembling; I could barely think. There was a reason roller coasters were never really my thing.

With my head still facing downward, I managed to open my eyes once more, vision at first hazily returning…

Wait.

I blinked.

Was… Was that…

A dragon tooth warrior, its claws digging into the ship's hull, stared back up at me, utterly still and covered in puke.

"Shit!" I yelped, falling backward on my ass and hastily pushing myself away. "Shit, shit, shit!"

Not a second later, the skeletal familiar was clambering over the edge and wordlessly snarling at me with a maw filled with fangs. Partially-digested banana dripped from its arm as it raised a claw to strike me down-

 _Bang!_

A gunshot sent the warrior reeling, and another two quickly followed. Its blackened bones crumbled away under the assault, leaving behind only a small pile of dust. And like that, it was dead.

"Looks like ya picked up quite the landlubber, ay Euryale?" laughed a boisterous woman's voice behind me.

I turned, and found myself face-to-face with a legend.

Francis Drake looked down at me with striking blue eyes filled with curiosity… and caution. Her still-smoking pistols were not-quite pointed at me, dark booted feet ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. I could _feel_ her presence like a physical thing washing over me, an aura of charisma and power that blanketed me like the rays of the sun.

Euryale had been different. My apparent negation of her charms and personality aside, there wasn't much awe to be had when dealing with her. True, she was a Heroic - no,a _Divine_ Spirit, but seeing her wasn't enough for me to feel the weight of truly witnessing one of the ancients that had shaped human history in the flesh.

Not so with Drake. What was I, in the face of a woman whose name wrung out across time? The bearer of the title 'Navigator of the Storm', El Draque herself…

I was nothing.

Drake opened her mouth to speak, but then paused, dark crimson pink eyebrows furrowing. Wariness crossed her scarred face as she pursed thin lips.

"... What are you, landlubber?" she asked lowly. Her movements were stiff, almost twitchy…

 _Oh, shit!_

"Sorry," I hastily told her as I covered my right eye. Her rigid movements abruptly ceased, though her suspicious look never faded.

"He's my bodyguard," Euryale piped in, stepping over to join us. "I picked him up after we were separated."

"Huh, fancy that," Drake commented, sparing me one more glance before opening fire at a couple more dragon tooth warriors that had been climbing up. I flinched at the harsh sounds so close to my ears. "I got lots of questions, but we don't have time fer 'em."

I looked around to finally get a good look at what was going on, and was forced to agree. All across the Golden Hind, scruffy pirates fought with skeletal warriors that ceased to rise endlessly from the ocean below. In their midst…

"EMBRACE THE FATE OF ALL OPPRESSORS!" gleefully roared a hulking grey giant, laughing as he tore through the enemy ranks with fist and gladius.

"I can see that," Euryale stated while I blatantly gaped at seeing goddamn _Spartacus_ in all of his insane glory. Her tone took on a wary note when she continued. "Where's Fujimaru and Mash? And the rest of the Servants?"

"They be aboard the Argo," Drake grunted, jerking her head toward the other ship not too far away. "And those fools," she insulted affectionately, "are having a rough go of it even after we killed Heracles, looks like."

I followed her gaze, staring at the imposing trireme and struggling to understand what I saw. The front of the ship was utter pandemonium, a blinding blitz of lights and explosions. Without my Mystic Eye to enhance my vision, all I could make out were fleeting impressions of figures smashing against one another with enough force to send shockwaves that rocked the Golden Hind. I thought I saw a certain cross-shaped shield in the thick of it, along with a brilliant rainbow streak that clashed against a golden spear.

And above it all, a great black circle hung in the cloudless sky. Formless masses oozed from its surface like drips of oil, falling to the battlefield and joining the fray.

 _Calm down, calm down,_ I repeated in my head. _You know what's happening. They're fighting Hektor, or at least about to. They already killed Herc, so they're gonna win. Easy. Easy._

"I'm going over there," Euryale declared, an ornate silver shortbow materializing in her hands.

"No, you're not," Drake shot down firmly. "Jason needs you, remember? And, besides, yer an Archer, ain't you? Best you hop in the crow's nest and support them from there."

"... Fine," Euryale grumbled. "I didn't want to dirty myself anyway. Where's Artemis? It'd be best if I worked with her."

Drake shook her head, wavy pink hair flowing behind her. "She fell fighting Heracles," she told Euryale, tone softening a touch. "Gave 'em hell before she croaked."

The goddess's features tightened, along with her grip on the shortbow. She didn't say anything in response to that, instead turning toward me.

"Go hide somewhere so you're not in the way," she ordered before spinning on her heel. "I didn't save you just so you could get killed by a stupid skeleton!"

Without further aplomb, Euryale leapt upward for the crow's nest.

"I dunno what yer deal is exactly," Drake started, casually strolling toward where the conflict was thickest. "But it's clear yer a stranger to storms like these. Best you be following the Far-Flier's advice, landlubber, though good luck finding a quiet spot."

Drake charged forward, firing like mad into a crowd of dragon tooth warriors. And like that, I was dismissed by my betters.

There I sat, frozen to the spot on the deck of the Golden Hind. So much, too much was happening around me that I could barely keep up. Beings of immense power, beings that I'd previously known as fictional or at the very least historical were waging war all around me. Even with a Mystic Eye and Monstrous Strength, the hell was I supposed to do in the face of all the madness?

Trembling, I began to pick myself up. I needed to move. I needed to keep moving. There wasn't a singular spot that was safe, but… Yeah, so long as I paid attention, I could keep going where there was the least fighting. I looked around, and saw that the area with the, what do you call it, steering wheel of the ship was located. It was up a bit higher, but no one was there.

I ran for it, dodging skeleton and pirate alike. Thankfully, everyone was too busy trying to kill each other to pay me much mind, so I miraculously made it there without much incident. I almost collapsed against the railing, running a hand along my brown hair that had become thick with sweat. At least now, maybe I could have a better view of the battlefield and figure out what the hell was going on.

Opening my Mystic Eye, I did my best to fully perceive what was going on. My vision sharpened, then focused. I looked at the Argo ( _holy shit it's the Argo!_ ) and finally noticed the two figures over on the far side, away from the raging battle. A handsome blond man, dressed in fine gold and white robes, looking _pissed_ and shouting at a young girl, with lavender robes that matched her hair…

I gulped.

Jason and Medea Lily. No doubt about it.

At that distance, it looked like my Mystic Eye had no effect. He continued to yell at her, gesturing wildly while the witch smiled sweetly and shook her head. Something was familiar about the scene. I remembered Jason throwing a fit when it looked like Hektor was losing. Or was it right after the Lancer died? He'd hollered at Medea Lily, who then… then…

Oh no.

Medea made a swift gesture, and the black disk in the sky faded away. Jason stared at the space where it once hung, mouth agape.

Oh no no no no no no.

A tiny version appeared in her dainty, gloved hand, swirling.

 _She was about to turn him into a fucking Demon Pillar!_

"Shit, shit, shit!" I cursed, edging away from the railing as terror flooded me. I had _no_ idea what those goddamn monstrosities would do in the context of a world not dictated by gameplay mechanics, but I all too painfully recalled that when they attacked, they hit _everything_.

Which just so happened to include me, who was decidedly not a Servant and couldn't just tank hits like that!

"No no no no!" _Think, think! No way in hell anyone can hear you, and there's no time to find Euryale or Drake! There's gotta be something!_

Jason rounded on Medea, screaming in her face. The smile never left Medea's face as she presented the Holy Grail for him to see.

 _THINK!_

A weight in my pocket stopped me in my tracks. And with it came a horrible, horrible idea born out of utter panic.

I frantically took the yggdrasil seed, the deceptively-heavy object tight in my grip. Gritting my teeth, I clenched my fingers around it.

"This is so stupid," I growled to myself as I slid into a pitcher's stance.

Medea drew closer to Jason…

But I had no choice.

I wound up my arm, willing all of my strength into it. Power surged through my skin, filling me with adrenaline and something far more. It was changing me, I could feel it. Ignoring it, I focused hard on Medea's hand.

It was seconds away from touching Jason.

"Here… goes… _nothing!_ " I roared at the top of my lungs as I hurled the seed with all of my might. There was an honest to god rush of wind that nearly bowled me over, but oddly enough it was my own fear that kept me anchored.

Time seemed to freeze. Medea was raising the Holy Grail to Jason's chest…

...and the seed impacted. _Hard._ The Caster's hand simply _vanished_ , replaced by golden dust that burst out into the air.

 _Oh thank you Jesus!_

I could see her let out a cry of pain, tiny body reeling from the unexpected attack. I almost felt bad, but then I remembered she was about to summon an Actual Demon God.

But when her lavender gaze turned to me, my blood ran cold. When she _smiled_ at me, all my sense of victory was swiftly dashed aside.

She was the kind of person to summon an Actual Demon God, and now I was firmly on her rader.

I tried to run. Tried. But then the world shifted, a purple haze flooding my vision momentarily before I smacked against something rather painfully.

"Fucking _ow_!" I spat out. Fucking felt like half of my body had been slapped!

"Mm, as I thought," mulled a sweet voice. "You're not a Servant at all, are you?"

My body went rigid.

"What the hell is going on, Medea?!" demanded the voice of a very, _very_ furious man. "What were you doing with the Grail just then?! And why'd you bring some pissant aboard _my_ ship?!"

I looked up from where I lay. Jason and Medea looked down at me. I was on the Argo.

Oh, fuck me.

Jason's body seized when my gaze fixated on him. His eyes bulged wildly as he struggled to move. At his side, Medea let out a sigh and made a gesture with her hand. The same hand that I thought was destroyed. An emerald wave washed over him and Jason sagged briefly before catching himself.

"What the-" he hissed.

"It seems you're quite the curiosity," Medea said gleefully, ignoring Jason for the moment to peer at me. "A Mystic Eye and strength like that… Oh my!" she gasped. "Could you be related to the Gorgon Sisters in some way?"

"We don't have time for this," Jason snapped, gesturing toward the battle. "Without the Shadow Servants, Hektor's not going to last long out there. Go help him, _now_."

Medea blinked, then frowned when she looked at him. "But I thought you wanted me at your side like a dutiful wife, Lord Jason."

"Fat lot of good that's done!" he shouted. "Turn this freak into an experiment later if you must, but we're losing this fight!"

"... As you wish, Lord Jason," Medea bowed deeply. "It is an honor to serve my husband in any way I can." Power surged around her, and her robes fluttered in the wind as she ascended. She spared me a smile, a knowing glint in her eyes. "You and I will be having some fun later~"

Unfortunately, I could imagine precisely what she meant by that.

And then she flew off.

"That idiot girl," Jason snarled. "Lying to her husband's face, _my face_ , and ignoring me for some freak." He narrowed blue eyes at me, ugly contempt plain on his face. "I think I might kill you here, monster."

I found it hard to gather the strength to spit in his face. Pathetic or not, he was still _Jason_ of the Argonauts, the man who rallied Greece's heroes and had been personally trained by Chiron himself. Hardly a stranger to mythology, I knew all too well who I was dealing with.

But the thing was… I really didn't want to die.

With a groan, I pushed myself up and stared him down. Over a third of my right arm was coated in crimson scales. Had to ignore it. Had to survive.

"Fucking try it," I snarled, raising my fists. Like hell would I make it easy for him.

Jason sneered, a toothy grin plastered on his face. "Oh? Keep talking like that, and I won't even leave a corpse for my dear wife to dissect." His legs widened into a different stance, arms raised. "I appreciate you providing me with something to take out all my frustrations on."

Oh shit he knew Pankrat-

A swift fist the jaw made me see stars.

"Come on, monster!" Jason jeered with a laugh. "Guess you're afraid, huh? I understand. I _am_ a hero after all."

I spat out some blood and what I really hoped wasn't a piece of a tooth.

"Not _my_ hero," I retorted before stomping my forward foot on the ground. He flinched, and I followed it up with a roundhouse kick that hit him right in the ribs. Jason cursed and glared daggers at me. After that, no more words were shared.

Block with left arm. Jab with right. Deflected. Kick to my ribs, left side. Ignore pain. Punch with right. His arm buckles. Kick again. Blocked. Punch to my gut. Can't breath. Block. No time. Punch back, jab. One deflection, one lands. Grabs my arm, twists. Ram knee into his ribs. Block. Block. Block. Punch. Block.

His Pankration versus my half-forgotten, Monstrous Strength-backed Tae Kwon Do. If he hadn't been such a weak Heroic Spirit, I would have been utterly pasted. As it was, I could barely hold on.

I don't know how long we fought like that. Eventually, during a momentary lull, Jason spoke.

"Your name," he growled. He was covered in bruises, but still he stood. My feet threatened to give out under me. "What is your name, monster?"

"... Galloway," I breathed raggedly. Why did I even answer him?

"Heh." A smirk crossed Jason's face. "Be proud of your achievement, Galloway. Your name will be remembered along with all the other monsters I've slain."

The bastard sounded like he meant it.

I had nothing to say to that. My fists, now coated in crimson scales, rose up. My nails had begun to sharpen, poking into my skin.

Jason mirrored me. In the distance, thunder rumbled. Explosions shook the Argo. But in the moment, the two of us were all that existed.

We charged. Before we could strike one another, a deafening roar overtook us and we became swathed in brilliant white light. I lost all sense of where and when I was, as if I were floating in nothingness. In that emptiness, I shook, the adrenaline and more overwhelming me.

"I don't want to die…" I begged, before my consciousness faded entirely.


End file.
